It Takes Two Shinobi to Unleash a Curse
by emoticon1234
Summary: Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy...well you already know how this turns out, so let's switch it up a bit, what if the girl has a dark secret, what if the boy is Naruto? And what the heck happened to happily ever after? :.:Under Construction!:.:
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, this is the remade first chapter. I'm sorry to everyone who liked the original better, but I've decided since my original story was so unbelievably Mary-Sueish that I was going to rewrite it. The plot and basic story line is the same except that it's spell-checked and proofread, and quite a bit longer...If you're reading this before I redo the rest of the story than I'm very sorry that it doesn't quite make sense yet . Anyways, enjoy lovelies **

* * *

"But you can't do that, Tsunade!" I shouted, as she finished giving me my briefing on my next mission. "You can't force me to take someone else with me; this is my burden to bear!" Tears were brimming around my emerald eyes, and I tried to cover it with my cropped hair.

"Keneko, I'm sorry, but I've already decided," she softly replied. Frustration welled inside of me, and I felt like screaming. "Besides," she continued, "these shinobi are more than capable of keeping your…condition…in check."

"So, now I have to be babysat?" I cried betrayal alight in my eyes. "Am I not to be trusted anymore? Is that what this is about?"

"No, that's not it at all," she replied sternly, indignation in her eyes. "You don't seem to realize that I'm trying to pass off an S-ranked mission as a mere B-ranked delivery. I can't let you go on that alone; you're only a chunin!"

"And well on my way to being a jonin, if you would only let me test for it," I shouted, anger welling in my stomach; it made me feel almost sick.

"Keneko Tsuki, what I say is final; you will be in charge of this mission and the two shinobi, so stop your complaining. You'll be in complete control. You're dismissed," she said with an air of decisiveness, and I knew that there was no more point in arguing. I clutched the manila folder in my hand and walked out of the room as normally as I could muster, the tears threatening to spill over. I couldn't let that happen, because if I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I got out onto the street, and covered my face with a mask of indifference. I was not going to let this bother me; I would get through this and by this time next week, I would be normal and able to finally relax.

It took less time than I thought it would to reach the apartment I shared with my foster-mother. She preferred to be my foster-sister because of the close range of our ages, but she was signed as mother on the adoption certificate. I was momentarily distracted from the problem at hand as I thought about it for a moment, and almost came close to smiling.

As I walked through the door, I heard the rifling of paper in the open spaced front room. I looked over and saw Mitarashi Anko shuffling through a large stack of papers. "Hey, Anko," I called, referring to her not as mom, but as what she preferred to be called.

"So, how'd it go?" she asked, barely looking up from her paperwork. I could feel the air become tense and uneven, and Anko wasn't really focusing on the applications for the upcoming chunin exam anymore. The familiar anger that I had felt in the fifth Hokage's office returned.

I unceremoniously slapped the folder down onto the coffee table, collapsing into one of the misshapen, overstuffed chairs. Anko roughly stuffed the pile of paperwork into an envelope, and picked up the folder on the table in front of her. She took a second to skim through it, and then quickly stood up, startling a quiet gray kitten off the couch.

"What is she thinking?!" she ranted, pacing up and down the aisle between the coffee table and the couch that much resembled all the rest of the comfortably lumpy furniture in the house. "How can she put this kind of thing on children's shoulders? She should be sending ANBU not another chunin and a genin!"

"What?" I shouted, snatching the folder away from Anko. I stared at the two profiles inside the folder with blank astonishment. I felt like screaming. Glancing at the latest date I was allowed to leave for the mission, I could feel my anger boiling inside of me; I was being forced to prepare for a mission of this magnitude in less than twelve hours. It just wasn't fair! I was seeing through red as I stormed to my room and slammed the door. I let the folder fall to the carpet as if it had burnt me. Ripping off my leaf head-band I threw it into the corner.

I lay fuming on my four-poster bed for I didn't know how long; it could have been minutes, hours, or days even for all I could tell. The curtains were drawn, and I lay in the darkness sulking. Sometime later, a light knock came to the door; Anko, seeing if I was hungry. I ignored her, and she didn't come back. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, my anger began to fade, my eyelids began to droop and my consciousness started to evade me. I fought against the sleep, but eventually my world turned off, and I found myself in a dreamscape.

_

* * *

_

A red sun began to rise on a tainted battlefield. An infant's cries were the only sound among the carnage and corpses. A young woman lay dead next to the small baby. A fox taller than the trees hovered over the death, and smirked down at the infant who squirmed next to her dead mother.

_The fox with nine tails roared at the sky, and swiped a giant paw at the tiny babe. It was like an explosion, the girl's consciousness seemed to erupt and expand until it was big enough to fill two grown people. The child cried at the pain, and tried to find some solace._

"_There, there, little one," a voice that would have given a grown man the chills said in a soothing tone from the other side of the consciousness. "Sleep now." The voice seemed to be trying to force the infant's soul into submission. Not realizing what was happening, the child fought against the pressure until it seemed to cleave her small mind in two. Finally after eternity, her mind rested, the hurtful force gone._

"_I have given you a vessel; do not fail me," the large fox growled, bounding off into the trees as the noise of a search party was heard in the distance. _

* * *

I bolted upright, a cold sweat covering my face. A dim light filtered through the curtains, slightly illuminating the wall clock. The hands slowly ticked by as 5:30 turned to 5:31. I ran a hand through my damp hair as I quietly crept to the bathroom. A scared girl stared back at me in the bathroom mirror as I splashed water on my pale face.

I looked at my hair, examining the blonde roots that were starting to show beneath the dark brown hair dye. Pieces of sky blue hair lay strewn throughout the roots. I turned away from my reflection; tearing my eyes from the glass as I turned the faucets of the shower on.

Undressing, I recounted the recurring nightmare. I had had this memory burnt into brain as far back as I _could_ remember. How I could play every detail through my mind as if it were happening right then and there, I didn't know. I couldn't have been much more than a year old.

I quickly washed the sweat off my skin, and hopped out of the shower as soon as I was satisfied that I was clean. I wrapped a towel around myself, my hair dripping onto my shoulders, and made my way back to my room. I dressed in my usual clothes; a pair of black spandex shorts, a green tank top, and a green skirt that slit up the sides. I found the chunin vest in the back of my closet and put it on, not bothering to zip it up. With an exasperated sigh I went to the corner of my room and picked my headband back up, tying it securely around my forehead.

The manila folder still lay where I had thrown it, and I gingerly picked it up. I looked at my teammates, and gave a resigned sigh. This was something that had to be done, but somehow I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to either of them.

My feet absently carried me to the front door, and I tried to keep my back to Anko who was mildly sipping coffee at the kitchen table.

"Why so early?" she asked as I opened the door to leave. I could hear the air of nervousness in her voice as she addressed me.

"Why let everyone else sleep in?" I replied softly, trying to joke. I could feel my heart pound in my chest as I thought of the task ahead. I put my foot through the door, but paused as Anko's voice called me back.

"Keneko," she started in an uncharacteristically tender voice, "good luck."

"God knows I'll need it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! The second chapter hath been remade! It makes me so excited! And yesh the next few chapters will end up being much better than the originals. Firstly I want to thank everyone who's reading my new and improved version, and many good seasons to you all! I loves my fans so just tells me who you are and I'll be sure and save you a cookie! :hugs readers: Okay anywaaaaaays! Enjoy the new and improved second chappie!**

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I walked down the early morning streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, internally debating whether I should back out while I was ahead. I clutched the manila folder to my chest, my stomach twirling in mad circles as I fought off an attack of hyperventilation. I approached the Hokage's office where I was supposed to wait until the rest of my team showed up. I didn't know their faces, and I hadn't taken the time to really look at the profile of their strengths and weaknesses.

A serious looking jonin with a long scar running though his eye, and turning the color a milky white, stood under the eaves of the building where the Hokage took residency and did business. I nervously stood ten feet from him, leaning against the bricks of the tall building. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I looked at him from the corner of my eye. I willed my teammates to arrive quickly so that I could be away from this man. He looked anywhere but at me, holding a stern expression on his countenance. I closed my eyes, blocking out one of my senses so that way I wouldn't begin to panic for no reason.

When I couldn't see the cold shinobi my brain told me that it was silly to be so scared. He was probably just waiting for a mission just as I was. Taking a deep breath I opened my eyes and stared forward, waiting. I let my mind wander absently, until a girl's voice jerked me back to reality.

"Are you Keneko Tsuki?" the girl with short pink hair asked, holding her hands behind her back. I nodded. She held a manila folder much the same as my own in one of the hands that was clasped behind her back. She moved her free hand forward and extended it in greeting. "I'm Sakura Haruno, one of your teammates. I've already taken the time to look at your complete profile, and I'm perfectly ready for the mission."

I bit my tongue against the response I really wanted to give her and instead reluctantly shook her hand, mechanically moving my hand up and down. I quickly looked her over, barely glancing at the red shirt and off-white skirt she was adorned in, and focusing on the determined and fierce look in her eye.

"Wasn't there supposed to be another?" I said gruffly, after she let go of my hand. She took the moment after my comment to look around, and she let out an annoyed sigh.

"Naruto," was all she said, a frustrated tone in her voice. I stood still and presently Sakura came to stand beside me. We waited for what seemed like forever, all the while the man still stared forward, a bitter look in his eyes. I didn't feel as cornered as I had before, not with another body there other than myself at least. I settled in for napping when Sakura slammed a fist against the bricks. I lazily looked up to her, and she let out an angry huff.

"It figures that he wouldn't show up on time," she said angrily and I looked at the small crater she had left in the side of the building. "This is so typical. He's probably still asleep."

I sighed. I supposed that it wouldn't look good for me if Sakura accidently put more caverns into the Hokage's office, so with a heavy heart I began to walk towards the street.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked, quickly catching up to my slow pace.

"You said this guy's asleep, right?" I asked, and she nodded, her eyes lighting up with realization. "Let's go give him a wakeup call." It didn't take long to get to my other teammate's residency with Sakura eagerly leading the way. It was an apartment building much like all of the other one person apartments, freely given out to shinobi who had nowhere else to go.

"So, where's he live?" I asked to no one in particular, and Sakura pointed at a door three down from the one I was standing in front of. I swiftly made my way to the heavy wooden door and deftly twisted the handle. The door swung forward easily. "He doesn't lock his doors at night, tsk tsk tsk." Sakura smirked at my comment and I invited myself into the apartment.

The floor was a mess with clothes and garbage lying everywhere. I wandered down the hall, peering into every door. Finally I glanced inside a bedroom where a boy maybe a year or so younger than myself was sprawled out on a bed, snoring softly. I glided to the bed and prodded the boy's shoulder a bit. He didn't stir and I shook him slightly; he rolled over onto his opposite side. Sakura just stood in the doorway rolling her eyes.

Finally I decided to give him a more _effective_ wakeup call. I firmly placed my hands under the side of the mattress and with a swift jerk upwards I heaved the thin mattress up, toppling the boy down to the floor. He violently jerked awake and looked up at me and Sakura, Sakura was attempting to hold back a fit of giggles.

"Good morning sunshine, we have a mission, and I hope you're just as _excited _as I am," I said with sarcastic cheer. He cursed under his breath and I noticed another manila folder on the dresser in the corner of the room. He quickly got up and before I could say anything else, he was pulling on an orange and black jacket over his black t-shirt, and strapping his black headband to his forehead. I strode out of the room, now leading both of my teammates back to the Hokage's office. I was moving at a fast walk, hoping to lose both of them and be able to complete my mission alone.

It took less time than I wished I had to get back to the tall skyscraper-like building. I unwilling pushed through the doors and made my way inside. A lean jonin sat to the side of the large lobby, and he stood up when he saw us. He walked to us with a distinctly graceful step, and looked us over as if examining cattle to buy. After his scrutiny he turned his attention to me.

"Lady Tsunade didn't expect you to leave so early, but I suppose since you're here…Do you know your mission?" he asked, toying with a small package in his hands.

"Yes," I answered severely. He smirked at my weighty answer, and tossed me the brown-paper covered cylinder. I caught it delicately and held it as if it were a sensitive bomb about to explode. I mechanically moved my legs as I tried to get out of the room. The walls felt like they were closing in, and I was getting slightly claustrophobic; the package in my hands felt like it weighed a ton. I zoned out as my legs automatically led the three of us out of Konoha, the familiar feeling of panic enveloped me as we left the safe walls of the hidden village.

"So…what are we doing?" Naruto inquired; he was the first to break the heavy silence. I looked at him, face attempting calm and indifferent to mask my inner terror. It was obvious that he had taken as much time to read his folder as I had; it was just unfortunate that I knew what had to be done by heart.

"This is a simple guard and delivery mission," I said, hoping that my false words would fool them. Sakura, who had thoroughly become acquainted with the mission, or what they were allowed to know, nodded. "We have to guard this." I held up the small cylinder.

"This'll be easy, then," Naruto replied, complete confidence coming off him like a waterfall. I couldn't help but take a deep breath as I tried not to growl like a feral animal. They truly were clueless fools.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto POV

_This girl is different_ I thought as I trailed behind Keneko.

"Hey Naruto, do you hear that?" Keneko's voice brought me back to reality.

"Hear what?" I asked stupidly.

"Listen," she said. I listened to the silence for a few moments until I picked out a light rushing sound.

"Yeah, you think it could be water?" I asked.

"Well, duh," she sarcastically replied.

I looked at my shoes before quietly saying, "Yeah of course."

"Well let's keep going," she said as if not hearing me. I followed close behind her until we came to the source of the noise. There sat a small spring. She took four small canteens out of the messenger bag at her side. "You wanna help?" It was more of a statement than a question, as she threw two of the canteens at me before I had the chance to reply. I caught them and went to the water's edge. Unscrewing the cap on one, I dipped into the water and watched as the air silently escaped. I looked over at Keneko to see her filling her own canteens.

"What?" she said as I continued to stupidly stare at her.

"Nothing," I said quickly and looked back at the canteen in the water, which was already full by now. I took it and screwed the lid back on. I finished filling the other, standing and noticing that Keneko is impatiently waiting for me.

"Well, I say we head back to the path and wait for the others." Again I followed as she led the way back to the path. Before long, Sakura and Sasuke joined us.

"We found some fruit," Sakura said, dropping about 8 apples out of her dress.

"Okay, divide 'em up," Keneko said coolly as she took two of the sun-ripened apples out of the bunch. When everyone had finished with the meager meal, Keneko turned her attention back to the forgotten water. She tossed one to me and I fumbled but managed to grasp it, then to Sakura and Sasuke, who caught theirs quite skillfully. She put the last water canteen in her bag before standing up. "Okay let's go." All of us continued on the path for what seemed like an eternity before Keneko stopped and began to examine a sign. She turned to us and said, "Give me your head-bands, shuriken, kunai, and anything else that might prove you ninja." She took off her gloves, a leaf village symbol carved into the metal, and her head-band.

Sakura and Sasuke nodded, understanding the things that were unsaid .

"For this part of the mission we need to be as low-key as possible. The people in this town are refugees and survivors of rogue ninja atacks. They don't exactly take kindly to _any_ shinobi," she explained as if sensing my confusion before putting her things into the messenger bag on her hip. I didn't question her reasoning but merely gave my headband and weapons to her, where just as before, she stored them in her bag. Taking off her jacket she wandered off the path, returning a few minutes later with nothing. "Let's go." She headed silently to a path covered by over hanging trees. Soon we came to a gate that much resembled Konoha's.

A man looked down at the four of us and said, "What business do you have inside Kurema Town?"

"We are but travelers seeking shelter," Keneko said in a falsely sweet voice.

"Alright, you may enter," he said as the gates opened to allow us in.

"Well let's get this show on the road." Kenkeo entered Kurema Town and for the uncounted time of the day we followed her.

Keneko POV

I absolutely dreaded having to see her, but she was the only one who would know what to do. Her apprentice had been my best friend, but not any more, now that we had grown up, or at least we tried to show the world. I headed down the streets that 6 years ago I had become familiar with. It wasn't that busy, considering it was a hidden refugee town. We finally came to our destination, a large house that seemed too big for this small town.

I knocked on the glossy wooden door and heard a girl's voice yell, "For the last time, I am not going to buy any stinking cheese!" The door burst open and a girl with scarlet hair, violet eyes, and a firey temper came out. Her hair was pulled into a pony-tail that reached the small of her back. "Oh, it's you." she said, seeing me, "In that case, I'd rather have the cheese-man."

"Nice to see you too, Kay," I put my hand on the inside of the door and tried to force myself in.

She strained against me before saying, "I thought that after what happened, I'd never have to see you again."

"Aww, come on Kay, can't we be friends, at least until I leave?" I gave her the best pout I could muster without relinquishing my force on the door.

"Fine." She let go of the door, making me fall flat on my face. She turned to my forgotten team. "Hey, Kayame Hiruka, freelance ninja at you service." Naruto and Sakura nervously shook the hand she extended, Sasuke just ignored it.

"That's just her way of saying she dropped out of academy and ran away," I told the three. This comment left Kayame steaming with a look of embarrassment and anger. "So where'd your sensei go?" I said, ignoring the glare she sent me.

"I don't know, she left about a week ago, and I have no idea where she is," Kayame said sadly.

"I needed her to help me with something," I told her in a slightly hushed tone.

"Oh?" she replied, raising a peirced brow. "Well maybe I could help instead, I _have _learned a lot since the last time you were here."

"I don't know," I said skeptically, but at the same time, frightened by inexperience.

"Well, come on! At least let me try!" Kayame began to whine. "And you guys can stay with me for the night!"

"Fine, but I hope you really know what you're doing," I said to her emotionlessly. I motioned for my three _team mates_ to follow me inside Kayame's home. "Ritzy." was the comment I uttered as I looked at the crystal chandelier and leather furniture.

"Well being freelance means no tax-cuts," Kayame said a tad bit sheepishly. " Since we try to stay low-key in this town, we only have four bedrooms so you people'll have to share rooms."

"Low-key my-" I started to mutter but was cut-off by a sharp glare from Kayame. I cleared my throat and continued, " Just show us where we're gonna crash."

"Okay, follow me." She moved up the stairs with almost measured steps in her same airy fashion, the one that looked like she was about to start a cheesy musical number. As we entered the second floor, she pointed to two doors, opposite each other. "You guys decide who gets which." She gracefully waltzed her way to the end of the hall where three more doors lay.

"Okay, guys, girls," I said, finally turning my attention back to my forgotten team. I entered the right door, the one I had indicated for us females. Sakura followed and I looked around at the splenderous beauty of the room. The large four-poster bed with the blue silk drapes, the large midnight blue couch opposite it, and the window with a small seat and view above the trees and buildings at the red sun that was only hours away from dipping below the horizon.

"Finally, some down time," I said, ignoring the magnificence and plopping down onto the couch without even bothering to take off my shoes. Sakura gve me a weird look before I snapped at her, waking her out of her creepy daze. "What?!"

"Nothing, its just I thought you'd be the kinda person to uphold rules like taking off your shoes before lying down." She pointed at the outwardly rude way I had my feet on the couch.

"Well, I guess I can be a little bit serious when it comes to missions, but other than that, I'm your standard for teenagerdome." A silence filled the room for a few moments before I continued, "So, Sakura, I have a question."

"Yeah?" She looked puzzled at my statement.

"Can you tell me anything about Team 7? I mean, aside from your undying love for Sasuke and obvious disgust with Naruto?"

"A-alright," she replied, hesitating as if afraid of a reaction she might receive. " Okay, let's see, Naruto has a one track mind, I mean, with him all you here is Hokage, Hokage, Hokage, but Sasuke on the other hand is strong and serious and-" she siad, gaining confidence with each word.

"So, what about any special moves?"

Sakura cleared her throat before continuing, "Well one of Naruto's only strengths would probably be his shadow clone jutsu and Sasuke has so many moves, but his most powerful by far is his chidori."

"Chidori? I thought that, well, nevermind. Well those are powerful moves, but they still won't hold a candle against my own original jutsu's." I stood up and stretched myself. " I have to go talk to Kayame." Leaving Sakura, I ventured towards the room in which I had seen Kayame disappear. I knocked on the door and in a few seconds it opened and Kayame came out.

"You really don't waste time, do you? So why did you come back?" She asked, her naive girly smile replaced by a mature, serious one.

"I needed to find more out about 'it', more importantly, how to destroy it."

"The only place we'd be able to find information on that would probably be my sensei's library," she told, a look of concern playing on her face. "Well, follow me."


	4. Chapter 4

"Follow me," she said as we walked across the hall, into the room opposite her's. The scent of long burnt-out incense was the first thing that hit me as I entered the calming room. "Well, let's start looking," Kayame said as she hit a switch on the wall, making several bookcases appear in the wall. I nodded to her before starting upon the shelves and shelves of books. She did the same and soon we had covered the once clean floor with the many tomes we had searched through. The hours seemed to pass in a flurry as a distant clock chimed out 9 times.

"I don't think you're going to find what you were looking for." Kayame looked at me with a look of deep empathy on her usually cheerful features.

"Just one more book, it has to be in the next book," I replied, refusing to shed the tears the tried to escape my green eyes. I looked on the shelves and pulled off one of the only books we hadn't yet touched, _Curses and Cures Through the Ages._ I skimmed through it, but lost my grip somehow and accidentally dropped it. I moved to pick it up but an envelope, having fallen out of the book, caught my eye. Picking this new piece of interest up I turned it over, and in neatly printed letter it said _Keneko. _I stuck two of my fingers under the flap that sealed the tiny piece of paper and ripped it open. Pulling out the letter, I silently read it, and the tears that had locked themsleves away finally escaped as the letter dropped from my quavering hands.

Kayame snatched it up and read aloud,

"Dear Keneko,

When you read this, you will probably be searching for a way to destroy that which you cannot control. Although it pains me to say, this will be quite impossible. That power is part of you and thus, to destroy **it** would also mean destroying yourself. I only wish that it could have happened to someone else.

Sincerely

Katari"

Kayame gave me that same sorrowful look as before as she said, "Keneko, you _know_ I'd do anything to change this."

"I know, but I guess normalcy just never suited me anyway," I said, quickly and inconspicuously wiping away my tears.

"You should go and rest." Kayame put a hand on my shoulder as she handed me the letter.

"I guess, but since there isn't anything we can do from here on, we'll be setting out first thing tomorrow morning," I emotionlessly replied.

"Understood, but promise you'll visit again someday. I know I might not show it, but we used to be lke sisters and it'd be good if we could be friends again," Kayame said as she gave me a warm hug.

"I'll plan on it, but you know as well as me that sometimes plans go astray," My voice cracked with every word.

"I'll miss you," she said as she let me go. She was crying and somehow my eyes had more tears falling from them as well.

"Me too, me too," I managed to get out as I left the room. I inhaled deeply and wiped my eyes as I walked back to my room. Sakura was laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling when I cam in. She immediately turned to meand I dug around in one of the pockets on my skirt. Tossing a few coins to her I said," Take the boys for something to eat, I'm sure they're hungry by now."

"What about you? you have to be just as hungry as us, we havn't eaten since about noon."

"No, I lost my appetite, I think I'll just hit the sack," I said as I headed for the large couch.

"Wait aren't you going to use the bed?" Sakura looked at me in a puzzled way.

"Nah, you can use it, I'll crash on the couch," I said as I plopped myself down onto the soft green cushions.

"Okay," Sakura said with a mix of concern and puzzlement. She left, turning off the light as she went and I tried to sleep, emotions still swirling in m mind.

Sakura POV

I left the room and headed across the hall where the boys were staying. As I opened the door, I found the two with their back turned to each other and a strange look of concentration on each of their faces.

"Hey guys," I said and they turned to me as if just noticing my presence. "Keneko told me to take you guys for something to eat."

"Really!" Naruto turned from his intense concentration game to hop up and exclaim.

"Yes Naruto, food, _try_ to contain yourself," I replied sarcastically. I looked hopefully at Sasuke but he just wordlessly got up and joined the gathering at the doorframe.

Walking out of the house, it was shocking to see the immense market selling from every corner; the town had been so desolate only hours before. Now it seemed like the town's population had doubled.

"Ramen! Ramen! Beef, Pork, Miso, and Chicken!" a man was yelling from a small booth that looked seamless, but had definitely not been there earlier. It looked a if Naruto were about to drool all over his jacket. I let out a defeated sigh and walked to the ramen shop; I had wanted sushi.

"So what can Yari's Noodle shop get for ya, little lady?" the young man behind the counter said with a grin.

"Let's see, two chicken and one large," I looked back at the painted sign behind the ramen man.

"Comin' right up," he gave me another grin and a wink as he turned to a small kitchen area. Not long after he came back, balancing 3 steaming bowls. "So who had the large?"

I pointed at Naruto and he gave our respective bowls to each of us, exchanging the coins Keneko had given me for my own bowl.I ate some of my ramen before looking at Sasuke. "Sasuke," I started softly, "you've been awfully quiet today, is there something on your mind?"

He stared at the steam rising off the top of his untouched bowl of ramen and replied in a voice filled calm irritance, "My input hasn't been needed, so why bother?"

I left the subject at his angsty reply and finished eating. Life seemed so fast; just this morning I was sleeping in my own bed, unaware of how strange the world was and now, now I was sitting here filled with an almost hopeless feeling. How did the world get this way? The subject was detering me from my usual cheerful demeanor, so I decided to drop it.

After several, long minutes of being lost in the flurry of the city, we finally made it back to Kayame's house. I parted with the two in the hallway, quietly sneaking into the dark room where I could hear a quiet, peaceful snoring coming from the couch. I squinted through the darkness and saw Keneko lying face-down on the couch, a peice of paper slipping from her fingers.

I knew I shouldn't, but my curiosity got the better of me and I tip-toed over to Keneko's sleeping form and took the neatly folded slip of paper from her. "Lighting justsu!" I made the common handsign that had been carved into our mind's when we were in academy and a small orb of light formed on the tips of my fingers and danced into the air, hovering inches off the note I had taken from Keneko.

I quickly skimmed the letter and found myself reading it once more before letting out a small gasp. I ran across the hall and burst into the boys' room, being careful not to make any more noise than necessary, lest I wake the sleeping Keneko. "Sasuke! Naruto!" I whispered as loud as was possible without making scene but still relaying the urgency of my message.

Naruto and Sasuke jumped up, surprised at the interruption. "What is it Sakura!" Naruto was the the only one who graced me with concern.

My fingers trembled as I handed the letter to both of them, Sasuke grabbing it first.

"Where did you get this?" Sasuke inquired in a grim tone. Before I could reply, Naruto snatched the paper from Sasuke and his eyes zoomed across it. He let out a gasp that equaled my own previous one.

"What should we do?" I asked, my mind swimming with questions.

"It's too late right now to do anything, the best we can do is to go to sleep and forget this ever happened." Sasuke's reply was blunt and filled with nothing but the utmost seriousness.

"But, what if Keneko needs our help?!" Naruto wasn't short on concern at the moment.

"Naruto, I agree with Sasuke, we should drop it, if Keneko needed our help she would ask, I think. But anyways, it's late and I'm gonna go to bed." I put a hand on Naruto's shoulder in a reassuring way and left; I had learned to control my curiosity, it did nought but worry my team. Maybe tommorow would hold answers?


	5. Chapter 5

Keneko POV

I awoke as the bird began another round of melody. I lay there, staring at the ceiling as memories of yesterday flooded back, washing away the morning drowsiness. I wished that I could stay there, like a normal teenager on a Saturday morning, still asleep, not knowing the burdens life dealt at the drop of a hat. Letting out a groan I swung my feet to the floor. Standing up, I streched my cramped muscles and let out a yawn to rival many others. Sakura was still peacefully slumbering as the sun peeked its head over the trees almost shy to greet the world.

_I'll let her sleep for a little bit longer, _I thought as I headed for the door. As soon as my hand touched the door knob however I heard a groan from behind me.

"K-Keneko?" Sakura asked in a drowsy voice.

_Damn she's a light sleeper. _"Morning." I quietly replied.

"Where are you going so early?" She sounded a slightly more alert.

"I have to get the boys up, we're leaving soon enough." I left her with that and ventured into the boys room. I almost burst into a fit of laughter as I observed both Naruto and Sasuke; sleeping on the ground on opposite sides of the bed. "Guys! Up!" They didn't even stir. I sighed as I used another wake-up tactic. I dragged them both to the foot of the bed, back to back. Placing a hand on either of their heads it was all over in one swift movement.

"AGHHH!" was the only sound heard as both boys sat rubbing the back of their heads and looking severely pissed off.

"So you're awake!" I said with the same false cheer I had used with Naruto the other morning. "And to think I thought I would have to use violent measures to wake you two up."

The both shot me a "and-that-wasn't-violent" glare and I gave them a smirk. "I'd get ready, we're going home, mission's over." I left in an almost taunting skip to go back to my room. I adjusted my pony-tail and tugged on my clothes in an attempt to cure the wrinkles that had set during my sleep. I made my way downstairs, putting my shoes on and I waited.

It was another 10 minutes before everyone was down, Sakura being the last to join our merry little troupe."So, lets go." Without another word I walked through the door into the once again silent and suspicious town of Kurema. To think that this time yesterday I still had hope that the life I had lived so far would be calmed to a normal one.

Reaching the gates of Kurema Town a flock of people flooded in, almost washing my team-mates back towards the center of town. They looked beaten and broken and I could see makeshift bandages covering various wounds. This sight wasn't uncommon to Kurema Town as it was a refugee town, its inhabitants only taking the time to exchange goods and come out of their shells at night when they assumed it was _safest._

"Naughty, naughty. Little boys shouldn't play with weapons, they could hurt someone," an old woman was cackling madly as she followed behind the group as a straggler. She took quick notice of us and ran with almost impossible speed the short distance that separated us from her. Grabbing onto my wrist and squeezing the circulation out of it, she pulled me close to her mouth where she whispered in my ear, "The naughty little boys came to play and made a mess, can you help clean it up? Well can you?!" Her raspy breathing seemed to poison my thoughts as she let go, revealing a large red mark from where she had grasped me, as she left, returning to her group and insane cackling.

I finally took a breath after realizing that it had been held for so long. I blinked it off and tried to riddle out the old woman's almost cryptic message. Little boys couldn't have tormented a whole village to insanity. _Maybe that woman was already a nutjob and you're blowing this whole thing out of proportion _a voice at the back of my head said. Agreeing with myself and brushing the whole thing off as a missing ninja attack, I turned back to the task at hand; getting back to Konoha.

The forest path that led back to the main road was eerily silent, usually you would be able to hear an assortment of birds and woodland animals scurrying about, hurrying to their business, but there was nothing, not even the occasional chirping of a cricket. I quickly jumped out of the way, knocking my team-mates to the ground as well as several senbon embedded themselves into the trunk of a nearby tree. A green mist began to hiss from the needles as the bark quickly rotted away._Acid_ "Imagine if that hit your flesh," I gave a warning to my team as we continued through forest, avoiding any direct light. Shuriken, kunai, and senbon with the deadly poisoning power were hurled towards us as we hurried to escape the forest and get to the open road where hiding would be a much harder task, both for us and for our pursuers.

Finally escaping the diciduous prison we took full speed in the direction of Konoha. Stiopping to a full halt we were confronted with 3 cocky looking teenagers, not much younger than myself. I took a glance at the symbol on their bandana's and let out a sigh. "You know, I've been having the worst day, it would really help if I could avoid a fight."

"Well too bad, 'cause you got one!" the shortest one of the group piped up in an arrogant voice, holding a kunai in front of his face; it dripped with the poisonous acid. Moving with lightning speed I jumped behind them and hit pressure points in each of their necks with a small burst of chakra, leaving them alive but still unconscious.

"Guys, hold 'em up!" I barked orders to my motionless and obviously dumbstruck team. They quickly did as they were told holding each shinobi up and forming a horizontal line in front of me. "Now when I say move, drop 'em and get the hell out of the way!" I looked for their nods and upon receiving them I put my hands in the sign that was so familiar and concenrated my chakra in my hands, carefully mearuring it out. "Fire Bow Jutsu!" I shouted aloud and pulled a hand back as if pulling a bow-string; a bow of pure flame materialized in my hands and an arrow strung on it as well. At first I pointed the flaming dart at th unconscious kunoichi that Sakura was holding dead in front of me, but in an avid movement I turned the arrow to the colorful hues of the morning sky. Releasing the hot arrow with a hiss it flew towards the sky vanishing to nothing but a pinprick before plummeting straight to the ground as was my original intention. I waited til the arrow was so close to them that if I had waited another second longer Sakura would have been impaled through the head before shouting,"Move!"

They barely moved in time as the arrow split into speveral bolts of flame that surrounded the enemy ninja in a square cage.

"That was easy...Almost too ease." Judging by the bandanas they so arrogantly wore, these incompetant ninja were genin from the Village Hidden in the Sound. But why would they send only genin unless... I dodged a senbon that was being thrust at my head from behind. " Get out of sight!" I yelled to my team, realizing what was attacking us, it was a jonin. Only jonin had the capability of quiet that I had almost mastered. I got off the road and perched myself in a tree. Listening for even the most subtle of sounds I saw another senbon heading for the spot that Sakura and Naruto had escaped to. Carefully recording the position from where the weapon was thrown I retaliated with another and managed to make the smallest gasp be heard. If I were any other shinobi, this sound would have gone unnoticed, but too bad for them, I had been trained by the best.

I attacked and came face to face with a male shinobi, black hair falling around his shoulders.

"And you must be the kunoichi I have heard so much about, funny I thought you'd be a little bit more, but obviously your rash actions have proven me wrong." He moved with a higher level of speed than I had seen from even my teachers and I was soon locked in combat with him. The clash of kunai and the dull 'thud' of shuriken hitting against the trunks of trees rang through the forest.

"Little girl," he cackled as he mindlessly deflected a shuriken aimed at his face, "Do you really think _you_ are strong enough to defeat me and protect your little secret?"

He began to move with greater speed and dexterity than before and that's when it hit me. _He's been toying with me. Holding back. _I struggled to fight against him but in mere seconds he hit me with a needle in my neck and I fell to my knees on a wide tree branch, immoblized.

"Now you see my specialty, poison needles, well not poison really, I was told not to kill you. All I needed was the right opening and you being the stupid little amateur you are, gave me so many oppurtunities I had to resist the temptation to kill you." I listened to this torment, not even my eyelids listening to my frantic brain. He yawned and slowly reached down to grab the package that was strapped onto my side, only to come face to face with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

"Do you really want to do that?" Naruto sounded beyond angry. "Shadow Clone Jutsu! Because I'd say we outnumber you 10 to 1" All three of them had made at least 20 shadow clones and were rounding on this still cackling madman.

"You think I am inexperienced in the art of Shadow Clones?" He moved with the same lightning speed and threw three senbon, much like the one lodged in my neck at only three of the clones. In a puff of smoke they all disappeared, leaving only the originals in their stead."Attack the original and all the others shall fall. Now perhaps I can complete my tedious and might I say, time consuming mission?" He again turned to me and plucked the brown covered package from me in an almost taunting fashion. "All I was supposed to do was break this little baby," he ripped off the paper and revealed the glass container. It was holding a peice of silver inside that was flying against it's glass prison sparks erupting inside the space every few seconds. "But it looks like I don't even really need to, but so I don't come back like a fool how 'bout I help it along?"He dropped the display of fireworks on the ground and put the ball of his foot on it. With a sick 'crack' several slivers of glass flew from every part of the container as it shattered. The locket opened itself and the forest was nothing but a field of blinding light as the orb inside flew towards me. My body readily absorbed this evil, tainted aura and my mind exploded in pain. A bloodcurdling scream was all that the forest emanated as the daylight was all that lit the trees once more. My last sight was that of my team hovering above me as my vision clouded and my mind slipped into an unsuspecting sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Keneko POV

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so Naruto, but give her some air."

"Shhh, I think she's wakin' up."

Blurry face hovered above me and I figured out who the pair was. I groaned as I sat up and looked at my surroundings. I was lying on the grass next to the main road. "Sakura, Naruto, what happened?"

"After that shinobi attacked," Sakura shuddered on the last word, obviously she had had the same reaction to imobilization as I had. "The forest lit up and when the light vanished, the senbon disappeared from our necks and you were unconscious."

"And what of the enemy?" I asked, referring to that madman who so carelessly hurt all of us.

"Well, he, he's dead," Sakura explained. "There wasn't even a body, all that was left of him was a pile of ashes."

I looked at the ground as I stood up. It was wrong to be happy about death, even his; an insane shinobi with a bloodlust.

"I think...It's time to go home," I began my slow, pained walk back to Konoha on the gravel road that connected all of the countries, only stopping to reclaim the items we had disregarded before entering the forest that led to Kurema. I felt dirty, stained, the monster I had tried to get rid of so long ago was back and it seemed there was nothing I could do about it. I walked in complete silence as we headed back to the village, for fear that if I uttered a sound I would end up spilling all the feelings of dread and pain I was working to lock up. All that I trained for was in vain, the world had no meaning once again. A single tear dripped down my cheek and I hoped that no one saw it, and no one did; they were too wrapped in their own thoughts and worlds too notice, except that is for one person. The tear drifted away and my face dried, but that one person had still seen that which I concealed from everyone.

The village came into sight after what seemed like forever, and I marked the sun at 3:00.

"I'll go give our report to Tsunade, you guys can go home," I dismissed my 'team' and started to walk in the direction of the Hokage's office. I stopped, feeling someone's gaze on my back. " Is there something you wanted to say, or are you gonna stare at my back all day?"

"Uh, I wanted to ask you, is there something bothering you? I saw you crying, you looked lonely," was Naruto's reply to my annoyed question. I let out an inaudible gasp; had he really seen me in my moment of weakness?

"NO! I mean, I'm fine, there's nothing bothering me, after I get some sleep I'll be better," I gave a false, reassuring smile; maybe if I pretended to be alright he would forget about it and I could go and live my unhappy life until I shriveled up and died.

"Okay, but if you ever wanna you know, talk, I guess you could call me a friend." He didn't seem convinced and I wondered how he was the only one who had been able to notice my pain when everyone else had looked past without a second glance.

I nodded and gave him another smile, this one more genuine than the last before continuing my journey to see the fifth in what used to be the third's office. A little ball of energy became another roadblock on my quest and picking himself up off the ground he gave a toothy grin.

"Hey sis!,"Konohamaru said cheerfully, before obtaining a mischeivious smirk. "So what were you talkin' to Boss about? Did he ask you out on a _date_?"

I blushed a deep crimson before turning the tables on the smiling 8-year old. "Why do you care?" I asked as I poked his stomache, "Is it because you're _jealous_?" He turned two shade redder than I had ever seen anyone go.

"N-No!," he shouted, crossing his arms in a pout.

I laughed at this display of immaturity and ruffled his hair telling him, " I was just kidding Konohamaru, anyways how about after I deliver my report we go and get some tempura ice cream?"

"Really!?" A wide smile of expectation crossed his face as he walked alongside me, finally making our way to the Hokage's office; with all the jumping and hopping he was doing you'd have thought he ate a bowl of sugar for breakfast.

Finally I was here. I waited outside the office, my hand trembling as I contemplated whether or not to knock.

"Come in!" A familiar voice yelled from inside, startling me. I entered and the silence seemed unbearable as I stared at the tips of my feet. After what seemed like forever Tsunade spoke. "What was the outcome of your mission?"

I gave her an insane smile and said in a sorrowful voice, "Complete and utter failure, and to top it all off." I tossed the silver, heart locket that had once belonged to me onto the desk, it was open and empty.

"Y-you mean-!" This was the fist time I had seen the Hokage absolutely scared to death, she quickly masked it seeing me watching her.

I nodded and sighed ,"Now that I'm done giving you my report, I believe there's a scruffy kid waiting outside for me to treat him to some ice cream."

"Keneko! Keneko wait!" I turned to her once again and the hand she had extended after me faltered, "Just, just remember that you don't have to carry this burden alone." I gave her the same reassuring nod that I had given Naruto and walked back out to the hyper little boy who had so impatiently been waiting for me.

As we finished off our tempura ice cream I gazed at the cloudless sky; if the weather reflected my feelings if would be pouring rain and thunder would be destroying the village. I rolled my eyes at the idea. The world was almost never fair so why should I think it would start now? Of course there would be no hope, when was there? Hope had died a long time ago for me; when I was forced to grow up and become an adult. 7 years ago, I had been younger than Konohamaru even.

"Hey Konohamaru, there's some things I have to do, see you tomorrow 'kay?" I dropped my wax-paper tempura dish into the garbage and waved a goodbye to the little kid with ice cream smeared across his face.

I walked the streets of Konoha, nothing particular on my mind as my feet led me to the home I shared with Anko. She was more of a sister than a mother to me, so sometimes I felt responsible for her, like how I was usually the one who cooked dinner for the both of us.

I unlocked my front door and walked in, the familiar scent of Anko's perfume thick upon the air. I made my way to the pantry and silently took out the rice cooker and a bag of rice, garlic, and spices. A half-hour later I set the bowl of soup and rice for Anko into the refrigerator and took my own bowl back to the table. I broke apart my chopsticks and ate the spicy meal without much conviction. As I drank the rest of my soup a gray ball-of-fur rubbed against my thigh.

"Hey buddy!" I scratched the soft ears of my kitten, Kujo. I had found him a few months ago, clinging for dear life as he was almost swept into the sewers during a rainstorm. Anko hadn't minded much when I brought the little creature that looked more like a drowned rat than a kitten home, and now he was a part of our _family._

I felt like training right now. Not only did it take my mind off of the happenings of today but after I was shown up by that shinobi I had a strong desire to hone my skills. If I couldn't even stand up to a weak shinobi like him then what hope did I possibly have of controlling the evil that lurked within me? I grabbed my bow, arrows, and an extra bag of shuriken, kunai, and senbon before walking out of the house. I headed to the spot where the second strongest of my teachers had first instructed me in the way of shinobi. Looking back, it was so long ago and I had grown so much. I took my quiver and strapped it onto my back as I faced the trees that stood in front of the memorial stone. I fired off a few quick rounds, all of the arrows hitting the bullseye I remembered having carved in the tree years before. I still had fifteen arrows left when I counted the number of arrows I plucked out of the tree, readying it for my next few shots. _I have to stop by Emporium Karin tomorrow._ As I returned to my original spot I gracefully fitted another arrow onto the bow, taking careful aim and perfecting my technique. I fired and hit the dead center of the bulls-eye. Fitting another shaft onto the bow I swiftly drew back the bow string and fired; not only did the arrow hit the center, it also split the first in half!

I heard clapping and quickly turned to the familiar figure; I would recognize his voice anywhere. "Kakashi-sensei!" I shouted a look of genuine happiness apparent on my face.

"Well, I can see that you've improved since last I saw you." He referred to my aim with the bow.

"Yeah, but it just isn't good enough, not yet at least," I clenched my fists around the bow, my knuckles turning white in the process.

"Tsunade-sama told me about your mission, I don't know what I can say-" he reached to put a hand on my shoulder but I deflected it half-heartedly.

"Kakashi-sensei, you and Anko both know that I never wanted anyone's pity. What makes you think I would want it now? I can take care of myself," I looked at the ground right then, not wanting to be weak in front of one of the only people I respected with what was almost close to hero worship.

"Keneko, you don't have to carry the world on your shoulders just because you want to be strong, it'll only end up bringing you down when you aren't able to," Kakashi said, a look of empathy on his face as he turned to leave the clearing. I was alone once again, left to my pondering.

**A/N: Kujo is the name of my actual kitty lol**


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto POV

I woke up early the next morning, not because I wanted to, but because I had spent the last 7 hours tossing and turning in my bed, my unconscious thoughts always seemeing to return to the girl who had been my teammate, even if for just one time. The rising sun was blood-red and seemed to emanate the chakra I had felt the other day, when I, along with Sasuke and Sakura had come to Keneko's aid.

I remembered the burning feeling as the fox's chakra joined my own and the rage that followed after not acting when I saw the Keneko start to attack the enemy shinobi. The last straw was broken as that sick, sadistic ninja paralyzed her and just tried to take the very thing we were supposed to protect like it was all a waste of his time. I had leapt forward and confronted him, only to be immobilized in the same fashion as Keneko had been. God, the whole ordeal seemed like a nightmare, and then that flash of light and everything was over. Keneko was unconscious and the enemy was nothing but a pile being blown away by an incoming breeze.

My daydreaming was interrupted by a sharp rap on the front door of my apartment. I quickly changed and answede the door while still putting my jacket on. A kunoichi with waist-length, black hair pulled into a tight braid was the person on the other side of the oak door.

"Tsunade-sama would like to see you.," was all that escaped her lips before she walked off, pulling me by the arm in tow. This morning was like any other with birds merrily chirping in the trees, but it seemed unthinkable that anyone could be sleeping soundly after what happened yesterday. _It's the way of the shinobi._ I remembered someone saying that to me once, but why did everyone have to go by that one explanation? Couldn't there be more than one shinobi way? _There has to be!_ I thought, balling my fists an staring at the ground in defiance. My daydreams were interrupted by a swift whack to my head, and I turned to the kunoichi who was glaring at me.

"I said, we're here," she tightened her grip on my arm to the point of breaking the circulation and opened the door to the Hokage's office. She practically threw me into the room before entering herself. There were two other shinobi, both males who looked almost identical to htis girl right down to the placing of their weapon bags. Sakura and Sasuke were standing on each side of them, both looking severely disheveled.

"Thank-you Sachio, Sachiya, Sakiko, that'll be all, you're dismissed." The three shinobi bowed in identical manners and exited single file. Tsunade took a deep breath and turned her attention to the three of us. Silence was the only thing exchanged as the room tensed up. "Do you three know why I summoned you here?" Silence. "I thought not, but still there's something I wanted to show you." She stopped and once again the room was full of the uncomfortable nothing.

It was a sudden shot to eliminate this mind twisting silence; I shouted, " So get on with it obaa-chan!" Two hits to the head quieted me as both Tsunade and Sakura held their clenced fists in front of them.

"Now, what I wanted to show you involves your new, permanent teammate." Tsunade continued while I held the identical bumps on my head. " What you may or may not know about her doesn't matter because I am going to tell you a few things that you are never to repeat, is that clear?" We all nodded and gave her full attention, signaling her to continue. " Keneko is a proud person and I know that if I don't tell you she never would.

"She is one of a special few who carry a burden. In fact I only know of two others, although I'm pretty sure there are more. But wouldn't it be so much better if I showed you?"

She pulled a crystal out of one of her drawers and placed it on the desk. "This is a crystal that has been possesed by every Hokage before me, it has recorded every event and action in Konoha since it was given to the 1st by an old mystic."

"Yeah, but get to the point!" I didn't mean to shout it, but the suspense was killing me.

"I'm getting to it, brat," her voice didn't sound annoyed, more worn than anything else. "Now, just close your eyes and calm your mind, let low your defenses and let the illusion take you over." I did as told, a hint of scepticism apparent in my movements. As I did so, though, sunny color of the light in the room shining thorough my closed lids melted away into black and slowly began to reappear. " You can open your eyes now," Tsunade's voice echoed through the space, even though it was clear she wasn't using a raised voice. I opened my azure eyes and was taken aback at my new location; a green forest clearing. "What you behold is Konoha of the not-so-distant past, 7 years to be precise," Tsunade's enhanced voice boomed through the clearing.

If this was all just a memory, then why did everything feel so real, even the warm summer breeze swaying the ferns?

"Ha! You'll never catch me, sensei!" a child's voice rang through the deserted clearing.

"Oh, really?" A pair of arms shot out of a bush and picked the small girl up. The silver hair and face mask were unmistakable, this was Kakashi-sensei, but he looked so different, so young, had 7 years really done so much to him? What was even stranger was the girl he heaved over his shoulder as she giggled and tried to escape his grasp. Her short blonde hair hung loosely around her face as the sun emanated off of the blue streaks, all of this only making her emerald eyes stand out even more.

"Oh come on you two, it's too early for you to be hyper," a sleepy voice said as a young woman stumbled into the early morning light.

"You're one to talk, Anko-nee," the girl said with a chuckle as Kakashi let her down.

"Keneko, have you been practicing?" Kakashi said to the little girl with a look of almost paternal caring.

"Uh-huh," she nodded before taking out a bag filled with kunai. She took one out and aimed at a tree that had a makeshift bulls-eye that looked like it had been made recently on it. With a flick of her wrist she sent the kunai at the bulls-eye and hit it dead on.

"Good form, now we just have to work on your speed," Kakashi said as he took one of the kunai from her and gave a quick flick of his wrist, sending the kunai to the bulls-eye with lightning speed. Keneko made to follow, but her kunai never made it to the target as it mercilessly fell to the ground, taking Keneko with it. She groaned as Kakashi gingerly picked her off the ground, Anko following behind as they disappeared from the woods.

"What just happened?" Sakura asked the darkness that enveloped what had once been the sight of the forest.

"You just witnessed the discovery of Keneko's special...condition, the rest of this tale only Keneko herself can tell you," Tsunade's voice boomed before starting to fade, like a chime that had already rung its song. "Now I believe it's time for you to rejoin the present." The memory world faded into nothingnessand a blurry world seemed to be spinning about me as eyes I didn't even know were closed flickered open. I sat up from my place on the wooden floor of the Hokage's office and stood on feet that refused to cooperate; my stomache was churning and my thoughts were dazed.

"It might take a while before you regain your balance, you'd be amazed at the amount of chakra it takes to work the orb. Even I feel slightly light headed," Tsunade said as Sakura and Sasuke staggered to their feet. I blinked and used the wall next to me to support myself as the room spun before me. "Now, I assume that it's obvious that you are to tell no one about what you've seen, it is after all S-classified information. I just thought you needed a little background information on your new permanant teammate." She actually turned to a neatly stacked pile of paperwork, thus a completely obvious sign that she was trying to ignore us and get us out of her office.

I stumbled out of the building and walked the morning streets in a daze, not even caring where my feet were taking me until I came to the memorial stone that had been my first training ground when I had been a genin. Maybe it was just luck that had brought me here or maybe just an animalistic instinct to escape into the shade, away from the sun that made my lack of chakra and energy give me a headache. I sat on the rock that held the names of so many KIA shinobi and randomly started tracing the kanji letters of a name. I didn't even realize who it was until my head stopped its incessive throbbing long enough for me to read the neat symbols; _Jesushika Tsuki._

My eyes widened as I stared at the name, my thoughts only interrupted by a soft snoring echoing through the small clearing. I curiously looked around me to find the source of the disturbance, locating the sleeping form of a troubled looking girl . I gained my balance once again and walked over to none other than Keneko; she was covered in dew and was leaning against a tree, sleeping the morning away.

_Has she been here all night?_ I took off my orange jacket and placed it over Keneko's fragile looking form. Weapons lay scattered all around the tree she used like a pillow, and she even clutched a kunai knife in her hand. Above her head there was carved a target I recognized, it had several arrows sticking out of the bulls-eye that I plucked out in a quick and determined fashion before moving onto the rest of the clearing. With all the weapons I found it took me a good half hour to put the sharp metal into a _neat_ pile. I walked back over to the tree and stared down at the sleeping girl, _What could she be thinking?_ She looked so tense, even in sleep.

Her eyes began to flicker open and she sleepily sat up, taking a few moments to look at the coat that covered her small frame; my coat. As she realized whose jacket it was she immediately sat up and looked around, finding me staring at her. With an embarrased blush she stood up and said, "Here's your, uh, you know, jacket." She handed it back to me and I gingerly took it back.

"Uh, thanks," I replied. "So, uh, were you out here all night?"

"Oh! I geuss I was, I was training last night and I suppose I just fell asleep," she gave out a sheepish chuckle and looked at the ground.

"So I geuss, I'll see you later?" I couldn't think of anything more to say that wouldn't be embarrassing to the both of us so I started to walk away, only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, um, Naruto. Would you I don't know wanna get some lunch later, as thanks for kinda takin' care of me this morning?"

"Yeah, that'd be good," my voice cracked when I said it and I could feel my cheeks burning.

"Okay, so I geuss I'll swing around your place at noon"

I nodded and continued my walk away, not even trying to conceal the smile that was playing itself on my face.

* * *

**A/N:Okay so I think this might be my longest chapter yet, and I am reeeaaaaaally sorry for not updating in like..._:.:starts counting fingers:.:_ carry the one, forever! But anyways my computer crashed and I hadn't saved it to my floppy yet so I had to completely rewrite it, hope you like it and I'll try to update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay guys I know it's been absolutely forever since I posted in this story and I am so incredibly sorry! Well you are bound to see more of that romance I promised you all with the genre, heheh. Okay well enjoy my homefry readers.**

Keneko POV

I walked home trying to straighten out my fairly wrinkled clothes. It was just then that the realization hit me; I had a date...with Naruto. _Does he even think it's a date? Oh god! I'm wondering about what he thinks! _I attempted to shake off the _feelings_. I never let these kind of things get in the way of my training, I might have said to Sakura that I was a normal teenager, and in a way that was sort of true; I was rude and sarcastic like any other teen. But the thing was, I never let boys or relationships get in the way of my work, unlike just about every other kunoichi in this village, for me that kind of thing could mean the death of me or who ever got in the way. Especially now.

I held my head in my hands, I was giving myself a headache. I took out the key to the large apartment I shared with Anko out of one of the inner pockets on my vest. I looked down at my clothes, I really needed a change of wardrobe, I had about 20 pairs of the same outfit, but it was comfortable... I guess.

"Ugh!" I punched the drywall and a cloud of dust formed around the large hole in the wall. I sighed, taking my hand out of the wall.

"Training not go as good as you planned?" Anko asked as if already knowing that she would have to call someone about the wall "You're home early, I thought you'd be asleep until at least noon."

"Yeah, uh, training, I'm gonna have to stop by Emporium Karin's later, she just got the shipment in and all," I made up an excuse to keep her from worrying about me later, even though I knew she wouldn't, she had stopped the maternal suffocation years ago.

"Okay, I'll visit Sei, he'll probably give me a good deal to fix the wall by tonight," she replied, picking up a pouch filled with her money, she didn't trust banks.

I nodded before heading down the hall to my room. It seemed so...empty, but I guess I hadn't slept in the midnight blue covers for two days now. I set the bag of banged up weapons on the large bed and wandered over to the closet. I looked through everything and I still found nothing but the green skirt and camisole and the black shorts. That is until I managed to push my way to the complete back of the stuffed closet. There it was, Anko had told me to keep it safe, it had been hers when she was a girl. I pulled the dress out and quickly changed into it manging to undo my high pony tail and letting my hair fall around my shoulders.

The person in the mirror wasn't me, she was too girly and just a little...pretty? The dress was black and was mid-thigh length, it had spaghetti straps and was just a little low-cut, the body hugging curves I didn't even know I had. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear as I gazed at the pretty girl in the mirror I already knew I couldn't be. _I should grow out my hair_. There it was again, my mind playing tricks on me and telling me that I was just like every other girl in the village. But I wasn't, I never would be, and I just had to keep reminding myself that until it killed me. But maybe, just for today?

The other half of my mind had won as I walked out of my house almost a little embarrassed, in the small dress that made me feel almost exposed. Maybe it was the fact that I had left my headband back on my dresser? I tried to smile and the people I walked by on the street turned to look at me. Was there something wrong? Could they see through my charade, were they saying behind my back, "You're not supposed to be a pretty girl who gets dates, you're supposed to be training to keep your monster from destroying us!" But nobody said a word to me, even though I could feel their eyes on my back.

I saw Naruto sitting outside his house on the steps, drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. "Hey, Naruto," I managed to say, as he looked up, his mouth dropping open.

"K-Keneko?" he asked, almost as if afraid to receive an answer.

I nodded and said, "I'm here for that thing I said I'd do this morning, lunch and all. I know this great place for curry if you wanted to go?"

He weakly bobbed his head up and down and followed me as I made my way to one of my favorite restaurants; Shigenori Curry. I opened the door and a bell sounded Naruto's and my entrance.

"Ken-chan!" Mrs. Shigenori exclaimed with a smile as she called me by the nickname I had used at least 6 years ago.

"Hello, Mrs. Shigenori," I said, bowing to her at the proper 15 degrees.

"Now, now Ken-chan, you don't have to be so formal," she said almost scoldingly, but a smile on her face all the time.

"Yes, Mrs. Shigenori," I nodded and sat down at one of the bar seats as she bustled around the kitchen.

"Ken-chan, huh?" Naruto seemed a little amused at the pet name almost everyone had me years ago.

"Old habits, I go by Keneko now," I gave him a playful glare as I regained my confidence in this little black dress.

"So, Ken-chan, will it be the usual for you and your friend?" Mrs. Shigenori asked as she set out some more ingredients for her her world-renowned curry.

"Yes, please," I smiled and held out some money but she closed my hand around it.

"Ken-chan, you're my best and prettiest customer, there's no way that I would let you come here every day without giving you and your friend a free meal," she winked at me and I blushed, understanding the meaning behind her smile. "Taichi, our prettiest customer is here, can you make _two _of her regular order?"

Minutes later a tall boy came out of the back room with two bowls of kare raisu. Setting them before me and Naruto he gave me a smirk. "Well, hello Keneko, don't you look splendid?" He tossed a lock of the messy brown hair from his face and smiled, that same smile he always used to charm all of the other girls in the village.

"Yeah, Taichi, and don't you look the same as ever?" I rolled my eyes at me friend, he was such a ladies man.

"I'll take that as a compliment from you," his smirk grew ever wider as he stared into my emerald eyes with his chocolate ones.

"Yeah, that was _definitely_ a compliment you big flirt," I playfully shoved him and he chuckled a bit. Up until then Taichi had been ignoring Naruto, but now as he looked at him his smirk turned to a glare.

"So, who's your friend, Keneko?" he smiled once more as he looked at me, then turning to a glare whenever he looked at Naruto.

"He's one of my teammates, he did me a favor this morning so I'm taking him out to lunch," I told him.

"Good," he replied, touching my cheek with the palm of his hand, "because for a second there, I thought I had some competition."

**A/N Ooh! What kind of connections did Keneko have to Taichi in the past? What is going on with him? Well I left you guys all on a really big cliffhanger so I'd like to skip straight to the part about where I'm thanking my reviewers, I know I shoulda done it last chapter but I didn't, sadly. Anyways Thanks to:**

**Tama Saga- I really value your input on my stories, it's really helped me to improve my stories**

**ArticAngel- I'm really happy that you were the first to review, and I'm glad that you love my stories**

**Dragonsavior- I'm so thankful that you want to read more of my story**

**Xx umaketwan xX- I try not to fall asleep in English and thanks for your reveiw**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: For Jebus sake! It's been forever since I last updated hasn't it!!! Hopefully you, my faithful readers, haven't given up on me. I don't blame you if you have, but between high school and all those dreaded English assignments and my boyfriend, there just hasn't been time…oh well, ****forgiveth**** me!!! Well here's the ninth chappy, enjoy!**

Keneko's POV

I felt the blood rush to my face as I stood up, nearly knocking my bowl to the ground in my haste. It felt as if the room were trying to suffocate me; I had to get out.

"Umm, Naruto, I'll catch you later, okay?" I felt my legs gain speed as I left the restaurant and ran in some random direction; it didn't matter much to me where I was running just as long as I was far away from both of them.

I stopped to catch my breath, leaning against a tree. I looked up and realized that I had subconsciously taken myself to my training spot. I slid down the trunk and waited until my breath came back to me…my heart was still pounding.

Naruto's POV

I looked at Keneko run, my hand extending to grab her wrist, but I couldn't bring myself to grab her as she fled. I heard a snicker behind me and I turned to glower at Taichi. "What did you do!?"

"I wouldn't worry about Keneko anymore, I think I can take care of those curves," he made a gesture in the air, and I grabbed the front of his shirt.

"Take. That. Back," I said through gritted teeth, his smug smirk only grew.

"And what do you think you'll do if I don't?" he said, his eyes narrowing. "What'll you do if I go right now and find Keneko, and do something I think we'll both enjoy?"

I couldn't hold myself back anymore, without my conscious consent, my fist had flown forward and rammed into the side of that smug bastard's face. I shook my hand; my knuckles were already turning an unpleasant shade of pink.

Taichi stood from where I had knocked him to the floor. "Looks like I've made baby angry," he said in a mocking voice, rubbing his chin. He stood in his place for a little while longer before lunging at me and making stars appear before my left eye. "You're going to pay for hitting me you little wimp."

The rest was a blur as we tussled on the ground, trading blow for blow, and I felt the taste of blood in my mouth. I spit it out, before sitting on top of him and pounding his face with my fists, I could barely remember why anymore.

Someone grasped the back of my jacket and jerked me off of Taichi, throwing me to the floor about five feet away. "What the _hell_ is going on?!" a harsh female voice shouted, looking between me and Taichi; it was Anko Mitarashi.

"It's a good thing you're here, Anko!" Taichi shouted, putting on a "poor me" face. "This thug just tried to rob us, I tried to stop him but he was overpowering me!"

She looked at me suspiciously, and took a firm hold onto my arm as she dragged me out of Shigenori's Curry. "Hey, let go! I didn't do anything!" I shouted, struggling to free myself and clear my name of the false charges.

"For some reason, kid, I believe you. Taichi is just a bad seed, he didn't always used to be that way, but maybe he'll grow out of it someday. I just came to look for my daughter, have you seen her?" Anko sighed as she loosened her grip on my arm, finally dropping it and staring at the sky.

"I don't know, maybe, what does she look like?" I said, rubbing my arm, and looking at the sky as well.

"Well she's about yea high," she placed her hand on my head, "and she has blonde hair, that's kinda short, and she's very pretty, whether she thinks it or not."

I felt my face turn red as I recognized the description, "Uh, no, I haven't seen her, good luck though."

"Alright then, well you should go home and put some ice on your face, it's looking a little bit puffy," Anko said to me, and a hand wandered to my features, recoiling as soon as it hit skin; my whole face was tender, and I was starting to get a headache.

I nodded and headed back to my home, a bowl of instant ramen should make everything better.

Keneko's POV

I was back in my bedroom and back in comfortable clothes once more. My kitty lay curled at the end of my bed purring loudly.

"You're so lucky you don't have to deal with all this drama, kitty," I said to him, scratching his ears lightly. Suddenly there was a light _plink_ as something hit my window. I walked over and opened the glass, looking down at the street below.

"Hey, sunshine, can I come up?" It was Taichi, and I nodded. He quickly made his way up onto the ledge outside my window, and let himself into my room.

"You're hurt!" I exclaimed, I hadn't noticed it before, but the whole of Taichi's face was swollen and turning purple.

"Yeah, you can thank your friend for that. After you left, he started talking trash about you, and just attacked me for no reason. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, and I think you should avoid him," I looked at Taichi's face and the sincere gaze that he was directing at me.

"Okay, if you think it's for the best," I replied, a sudden anger at Naruto for hurting my best friend was coming over me.

"I do," he said softly, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, and pulling me into a hug. I melted in his arms and rested my head on his shoulder, taking in his smell. I could stay like this forever. Reluctantly he pulled away and looked into my eyes again. "I care about you Keneko, and I don't want some jerk to hurt you." A blush crept across my face as he leaned forward and placed his lips on my forehead. "Alright, well, I gotta go, my mom'll probably be wondering where I am now. I'll see you later, okay?" He let himself out the window and dropped the ten feet to the ground.

"Bye," I whispered as I watched him run down the street.

**A/N: Poor Keneko, she's so utterly fooled!!! And what does that fiend Taichi have in store?! Well your guess is as good as mine **** yup, well I'll try to update soon, for all of my readers who still believe I'm not dead**


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